Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee report delays
There is no official report yet on the food situation for the 2017/18 lean period from the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee, meaning that the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) cannot embark on resource mobilisation campaigns.
During the period in question, the country was hit by the fall armyworm, a dry spell and heavy rains.
Data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development indicates that the dry spells alone affected over 800,000 households. This translates into 3.6 million people as, according to the 2008 Population and Housing Census, a household in Malawi consists of a minimum of 4.5 people.
However, Ministry of Finance spokesperson, David Sado, said the report will be out by the end of July.
“Our officials are still on the ground making assessments on the food vulnerability [situation]. The exercise has not been completed. We are hoping that the report will be out by July,” he said.
The report is critical as it forms the basis of response and recovery plans.
DoDMA officials are on record to have said last year that they depend on Mvac reports in their resource mobilisation drive.
Mvac last year indicated that over one million people had no food.
A vibrant writer who gives a great insight on hot topics and issues
